Shoes help !

[Yanners86]

Hi , new to cycling and im going to purchase some shoes. I have found these but dont know what types of cleats/pedals to get with them or if they even take them .
Total newbie so sorry if it seems like a stupid question.

http://www.sportsdirect.com/muddyfox-rb ... e=14408913

[DaveP]

Personally I think its worth making an effort to try clothing on, especially shoes. It's the only reliable way to make sure that things will be comfy, and that matters when you're starting to feel tired and are miles from home.
Three issues with cycling shoes: As with other types of footwear there is always a risk of encountering shoes designed for very narrow feet, possibly a slightly greater risk when said shoes are being heavily discounted. You seldom see width fittings in adverts.
There are two broad types of cycling shoes. Road shoes and mountain bike shoes. The main difference is flexibility. Road shoes basically have totally rigid soles and you can't walk normally in them. I suspect that the shoes in your link fall into tis group because, although I cannot tell what types of cleats may be used with them, the cleats appear to be mounted on the surface. Mountain bike shoes have a sole that is stiff enough to protect the feet from the pressure of the pedal, but bends enough to allow you to walk like a normal human. The cleats are recessed into the sole. That's what I use, together with Shimano SPD pedals. You don't have to spend a fortune on this approach. Road pedals seem to have different cleats for every brand...
Third point, and possibly the most important, is that you don't have to use special shoes in order to ride a bike There are a variety of flat or traditional cage pedals available which can be fitted to most bikes and ridden quite happily with any pair of shoes with reasonably stout flat soles. You could ride like that for years. You don't need to go to cleats unless you take an interest in some sort of competition where others use them. Clipless pedals are one of the things that the trade has foisted upon cyclists in general. Be advised also that the use of cleats involves an additional learning curve that may well feature a few embarrassing tumbles Its your call - but no need top rush at it!

[Yanners86]

Cheers . The bike came with caged pedals so i can use it . I think im going to have to take a trip out and try some on aren't i.but for now im ok with the caged pedal its just they are a bit narrow for my size 11 feet

[tim-b]

Hi

Assuming that the shoes are for UK use, I'm guessing that in a month or so you'll be looking for overshoes and thicker socks as temperatures plummet. You can get winter boots but they can be expensive; I'd consider making do and have a look in the spring to see what shoe (and boot?) bargains are around

IME I need to buy cycling shoes at least a size above my UK shoe size and so I would always try a few different pairs. Cleat-wise the shoes linked to seem to have fittings for the more common types

Regards
tim-b

[TrevA]

Looking at the soles of those shoes, they have the drillings for both the 2 bolt systems such Shimano SPD (commonly used on mountain bikes) and the 3 bolt systems such as Look Keo and SPD-SL - these are commonly used on road bikes. The 3 bolt systems are harder to walk in, though you can buy covers for the cleats.

They are not the best shoes to use if you wish to use flat pedals or toe clips and straps (cage pedals) - for those, it is better to have something with a bit of tread on the sole, so that it grips the pedal.

[roubaixtuesday]

Cheers . The bike came with caged pedals so i can use it . I think im going to have to take a trip out and try some on aren't i.but for now im ok with the caged pedal its just they are a bit narrow for my size 11 feet

Just to add to what tim-b said, for whatever reason, cycling shoes seem to be at least one, and sometimes two sizes smaller than normal shoes. Why is a mystery, but I'm a UK12 and need 49 or even 50 in cycling shoes. If you're an 11, I'd strongly advise getting to a shop rather than buying online. You may find even the largest shoes in a style are too small for you.

As others have said, special shoes are far from essential, but personally, I do really like them. If it's your only bike, I'd recommend putting pedals which are flat on one side with a cleat on the other, so you can ride the bike with "normal" as well as cycling shoes, if you're just nipping out to the shops or whatever.

[TrevA]

If you decide on SPD mountain bike pedals, then these shoes would be more suitable:

http://www.sportsdirect.com/muddyfox-mt ... e=14408566

The cleats are recessed and they are easier to walk in

[Yanners86]

Thanks for all the help you lot ! Very much appreciated.

[Threevok]

Just to add to that - here are the ones I use

http://www.sportsdirect.com/muddyfox-to ... e=14409341

These are excellent and look and feel much like normal trainers

I use them both with the cleats for SPD pedals and with the insert when using flat pedals

One word of warning though - when swapping the cleat with the insert for this purpose - use the screws that come with the cleats. The ones that come with the insert - protrude and scratch your pedals